Crafty Boots Blog Hop

The theme at Crafty Boots Challenges this fortnight is ‘Anything Goes’.  You can join in the challenge as normal but there are 12 extra chances for you to win a prize by joining the first ever Crafty Boots blog hop!

If you are joining in the hop you should have got here from Stephanie-Emma’s blog .  If you haven’t blog hopped before it is really simple, just start at the Crafty Boots Challenge blog and hop through the design team blogs in the order set out on that page.  Each of the design team members has a word or two for you to collect which will reveal a message at the end.  Once you have collected that message email it to bloghop@craftyboots.co.uk to be entered into the draw to win the prize of three digis of your choice from Hope Jacare Doodles.  You must also become a follower of all the design team’s blogs (and Claire’s) to be eligible to win the prizes.



Hi everyone..... My name is Denise and I have just become a member of the Crafty Boots Challenge Blog Design Team.  I am so thrilled to be part of the team, and I am also very happy to be able to be one of the stops on the blog hop!

Since I am in Christmas card mode, I chose the lovely Snowman Wreath digi image from Hope Jacare Doodles.  Here is what I came up with....

Hope Jacare Snowman Wreath

The image is colored with Letraset Flex Markers.  I used a lovely holographic card that I got from Create and Craft.  It doesn't come across that well in the pic, but the base color is about the same as the green in the ribbon.  I used the Grand Nestabilities Labels 23 for the die cut layers and the ribbon I got from the US (at JoAnn's Fabric I think).

Now back to the business of the blog hop......



Don’t forget that myself and each of the design team members has a prize of candy up for grabs, this will include a sample pack of the fantastic new Crafty Boots Deluxe card along with a few other goodies.  Be sure to leave a comment on each of our blogs and follow us to be in with a chance of winning our candy!

My words for the secret message are:
IN

Your next stop is Tracie’s blog
The deadline for both the Anything Goes challenge, and the blog hop (and candy) is Sunday 11 ^th December at 12 Noon (UK time).

Baby Monkey

Ok, so as many of you know, I am all but laid up with a bad back and now a cold / the flu to boot.  It is had to tell if my muscle pain is back or illness related, so suffice to say I am just a mess all around.  However, my will to craft is strong, and although it has taken me the better part of 4 days to put this together, I managed to do a card that fits a couple of challenges.

The first challenge / inspiration came from the Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge 4 - Sketch Challenge.  I have never entered a sketch challenge, because I usually let the card's format come to me as a result of the elements.  However, I remembered seeing this adorable digi stamp at Pollycraft  - Christmas Chester, Chester's Star   and I thought he would be a nice way to follow the sketch.

Here is the card:

 

Here is the sketch:  

 It is really a lovely set up for a card and I don't know that I would have thought of the checker board backing.

Here are a couple more pics of the card to show some of the detail in the monkey and a bit truer representation of the colors with the flash.

I colored Chester the Monkey with Letraset flex markers and pro markers.  I wasn't happy with the color the star ended up, so I thought some heat embossing with gold sparkle embossing powder would do the trick (and I think it did).  Finally I wanted to bling it up a bit with various colored gems and a few small pearls.  (What is Christmas without a bit of bling?)

I was lucky that my brand new Hunkydory paper came in the post today (yes, on Sunday - my mailman chooses random days to take off and / or deliver the mail).  Anyway, I used two different sheets of the beautiful lavender / purple with gold flourishes paper as the checkerboard in the back.  I cut a small strip of gold mirror board and put some purple Happy Christmas ribbon on it.

Then for the layers behind the monkey I used dark blue holographic card from the Hunkydory pack topped with a textured white paper that has been in my stash for ages.   You can see the texture a bit better in the close up of Chester (above).

In addition to The Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge, I would also like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers - Week 127 Theme Swirls and Sparkles
ends Monday 28/11/11

Pollycraft Monday Challenge - Challenge 120 - Christmas Fun 
4 week


I think that is about it for now, as it has taken me literally 3 hours to put this post together..lol.

Thank you as always for looking and I love to get your comments!

Take care and keep on crafting!

xxDenise